Phenomenon Joe Cameron: thanks to a genetic mutation, a woman does not feel pain

This amazing woman lives in Scotland and differs from all other people in that she does not feel pain. Joe Cameron suffered several serious injuries and operations during her life, but, according to the woman, these events were not accompanied by any pain and unpleasant impressions. But these are not all the oddities that can be noted in an elderly resident of Scotland. It turns out she does not panic. Of course, there are people whose psyche is more stable in stressful situations than others, but Joe Cameron is not just stable, she is really indifferent. As evidence of this, we can cite the case when she became a participant in an accident. The woman was able to get out of the overturned car on her own and calmly set off to console the culprit of the accident - the young driver of the cargo van, who was terribly scared and depressed after the incident.

The case of a resident of Scotland interested doctors several years ago when she was undergoing treatment in one of the clinics. After it became clear that she practically does not feel pain, she was asked to undergo an additional examination at a university in London.

It turned out that in her DNA there are two mutations that make a woman practically immune to pain, and also suppress a sense of panic and frustration. One mutation is associated with changes in DNA that lead to increased formation of a substance called anandamide. This compound plays an important role in the perception of pain, acting as an anesthetic. It turned out that the unusual Joe Cameron has twice this substance than ordinary people. Interestingly, the woman has two children, her son is also the carrier of one of the discovered mutations. A man does not feel pain, therefore, does not use painkillers. But to Joe’s daughter, this feature was not inherited.

The discovered mutations were previously unknown to scientists, so their discovery promises to lead to the emergence of new drugs aimed at relieving pain symptoms. Researchers hope that the case with Joe Cameron will help them better understand the mechanisms of pain in the human body and create fundamentally new analgesics.